Chapter 84

The French merchant ship *Lucky* was engaged in the opium trade and also involved in smuggling, but at heart, Captain Corsica was still a merchant, a merchant with moral principles. When they encountered a ship in distress at sea, they would definitely offer assistance. As the *Lucky* slowly approached the wreckage, Xiaole Tian noticed that the entire sea was already in chaos.

"Oh God, this is terrible..." Corsica kept making the sign of the cross on his chest. In the seawater at the bow, a faint smell of blood could still be detected, and the sea surface was littered with broken planks and floating barrels. Amidst the chaos, human body parts were also floating.

The fins of sharks appeared and disappeared, and there were at least forty to fifty sharks, indicating that the people on the ship had likely met a tragic end.

"Look quickly, there's a small boat ahead... Oh my God, there's someone unconscious inside, a European..." The sailors rowed over to the small boat and used ropes to pull it back to the *Lucky*.

The sailors of the *Lucky* searched the area for an hour and finally confirmed that the only survivor was this European. As the sky gradually darkened and dinner was prepared, the young man lying on the deck finally woke up.

"Oh, thank you... Which country's ship am I on?" The man drank some water and finally regained his strength.

"English? American accent? You're American... We are the French merchant ship *Lucky*, I am Captain Corsica, and these Chinese are my guests..." Corsica said.

Xiaole Tian then squatted down and asked in English, "Friend, I am a friend of American Envoy John and Pastor Lewis. I am willing to provide you with necessary assistance. Are you from Naha?"

"Ah? Chinese people can speak such standard New York accents... Oh yes, the merchant ship I was on was supposed to transport a shipload of sugar to Ningbo Port, but unfortunately, we encountered this storm halfway. If it weren't for your rescue, I would have met God."

In the conversation, it was revealed that he was a young man traveling the world under the guise of a merchant to examine global markets. This was quite common, as most of these young men were from wealthy families who wanted to gain experience. The family would provide them with a sum of money, and they would use it to travel the world and broaden their horizons.

They sometimes did a bit of business, but the volume was usually small. For example, in this sugar trade, Mike spent money to buy over two hundred bags of sugar. After arriving in Ningbo, he would sell the sugar with the ship owner and earn a small amount of travel funds.

Generally, merchants were willing to help these young men because those who dared to travel in this way were well-educated and from families with certain backgrounds. Who wouldn't want to expand their network?

In the captain's cabin, Xiaole Tian and Captain Corsica invited the young man to dinner. During the meal, Xiaole Tian asked Mike about his next plans, and Mike firmly said he wanted to go to China.

"I must go to China. As a commercial inspector for my family, I need to gather firsthand information about China. I've heard that China's industrial special zones are about to be launched, and I must work hard for my family..."

Hearing this, Corsica and Xiaole Tian exchanged a smile, and then Corsica said, "Mike, my ship is going to take Mr. Xiao to Naha Port and then return to France. I can't take you to China. But if you're willing, you can follow Mr. Xiao. With the help of this American friend, I believe your trip to China will be fruitful..."

Xiaole Tian dipped a piece of dry bread into some French soup, savoring the crispy taste in his mouth while his mind raced. After a long while, he asked thoughtfully, "Mr. Mike, you said your last name is Carnegie? I have a question... Carnegie, the Jewish businessman, is known for his steel business..."

With a clatter, Mike's teacup fell from his hand, and he stared at Xiaole Tian in disbelief. "How do you know my brother? My uncle's son is named Andrew Carnegie. I received funding from my brother to examine the market in China..."

Xiaole Tian spat out his tea, and the waves in his heart were even greater than the storm that had just subsided. In his previous life, Xiaole Tian had read Carnegie's biography and had nothing but admiration for this legendary steel magnate. Although he couldn't remember the exact dates from the biography, he remembered one thing clearly.

Shortly after the end of the American Civil War, at the age of thirty, Carnegie officially founded the Carnegie Steel Company and quickly entered a period of rapid growth. Now was the time when Carnegie was just starting out. If he could get involved, the benefits would be immeasurable.

In 1865, Carnegie founded his steel company, and in the same year, Xiaole Tian met Carnegie's brother in Ryukyu. The connection was due to the industrial special zone plan that Xiaole Tian had initiated, which seemed to be a matter of fate.

At this time, Carnegie was not yet the world-renowned richest man in America; he was just a successful steel merchant. His Carnegie Steel Company was still under construction, and it was uncertain whether it had even started production. For Carnegie, the vast Chinese market was impossible to ignore.

Moreover, the small butterfly effect created by Xiaole Tian had already changed American history. President Lincoln was still alive, and the industrialization process of America would only accelerate, not slow down. His friendly relationship with Lincoln would certainly add value to his business. As long as he could obtain the title he wanted from the Ryukyu royal family, Xiaole Tian believed that the future would be smooth.

Xiaole Tian's mind was racing. He couldn't understand why Carnegie, who in real history focused mainly on Europe and America and had little interest in Asia, would set his sights on China during the early stages of his business.

It turned out that Xiaole Tian's guess was correct. John and Lewis, who were ostensibly an envoy and a pastor, were also spies, a common practice in diplomacy that continued into the 21st century. John and Lewis had connections with top American financial groups, and any move by China was quickly known by these groups.

At first, these top businessmen viewed Xiaole Tian, the so-called master of Western learning, with curiosity. But when the concept of industrial special zones, proposed by Xiaole Tian, reached America, these top businessmen immediately saw the business opportunities.

Post-Civil War America was in dire need of orders, and the establishment of industrial special zones was not just about orders; it was a shortcut to penetrate China. Imagine if America secured a contract to build an industrial special zone, even just one, it would be a glorious victory.

Think about it: while other European countries still needed long sea routes to trade with China, America could produce and sell directly on Chinese soil, which would multiply the profits.

After this piece of information spread in the upper echelons of American business, Lincoln faced constant pressure through secret channels. Some businessmen even openly hoped that the U.S. government would support Xiaole Tian as China's spokesperson. Unfortunately, President Lincoln's moral standards were too high, and he stubbornly stuck to his conditions.

Xiaole Tian put down his utensils and smiled at Mike. "Dear friend, do you have any plans to meet Xiaole Tian?"

"Huh? How did you know that..." Mike's eyes were full of suspicion. At this point, Captain Corsica couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. "Mr. Mike, your luck is very good. The person in front of you is the famous Chinese scholar, the author of *Journey to the West*, Mr. Xiaole Tian..."

"Oh! My God, you are truly kind to me. Mr. Xiaole Tian, can I take a bit of your time? Don't you want to hear about my family's business..." The young Mike stood up excitedly, grabbing Xiaole Tian's hand and refusing to let go.

The dinner lasted until nine o'clock, and it only ended when Mike was extremely exhausted. Under the starry sky, Captain Corsica was using a sextant to adjust the course, while Xiaole Tian, holding a glass of red wine, inhaled the salty sea breeze and felt the vastness of the ocean.

Tomorrow, they would arrive in Ryukyu, the gateway to China's deep blue sea, known as the "Bridge of Ten Thousand Nations." If this chain of islands were under Chinese control, it would be a bridgehead for the Chinese coastline. If it were under foreign control, it would become a chain locking China.

Xiaole Tian had three reasons for coming here. First, he needed to reach an agreement with the weak Ryukyu royal family, even if he had to buy a nominal title of prime minister. If Lincoln wouldn't do business with a commoner, he would give him an equal government to negotiate with, using the name of the Ryukyu Kingdom. He could buy warships without any objections.

Second, Ryukyu, being an overseas territory, was a place that the Qing Dynasty neglected. If Xiaole Tian's influence could penetrate here, he could conduct business and train his army without any worries.

Third, this was also a matter of patriotism. Ryukyu had been a vassal state of China since the Sui and Tang dynasties. Why should it be occupied by the Japanese?

"Damn it, Ryukyu, I'm coming. As long as I'm here, you will never fall into Japanese hands, even if I shed my last drop of blood!"

At this moment, Shi Dakai, disguised, walked up to Xiaole Tian and deeply inhaled the sea breeze. "The Heavenly Kingdom has fallen, and many of our brothers have fled overseas. There are veterans of the Heavenly Kingdom in Japan, Ryukyu, and Southeast Asia. I have already gathered over a hundred for you, plus the dozens we brought, making a total of about two hundred, but it's still not enough..."

"Do you know? The Shimazu family openly has three thousand soldiers in Naha, led by a general named Kusunoki. Along with many ronin from the Satsuma domain, the Japanese can easily gather an army of over a thousand ronin. Our forces are still far too weak..."

Xiaole Tian shook his head. "I'm not here to fight. I just need a nominal title. Time is on our side... But rest assured, Mr. Shi, one day, I will lead a vast fleet to personally conquer the Ryukyu Kingdom and drive out all the Japanese who are entrenched here..."

In real history, in 1879, 14 years after the time Xiaole Tian was in, Japan brutally annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom, turning the Ryukyu Islands into a chain that locked China's fate.

Xiaole Tian had only 14 years to change the fate of the nation, and the urgency could not be more pressing.